I have Taoism and can understand other worlds

Chapter 703 Trivial Matters of Cold City
Inside Jade Cold City, a cold wind swirled fine snow along the wide streets.

Jiang Wen and his companions found a rather grand-looking restaurant called "Nuanxue Pavilion," went up to a private room on the second floor, ordered some local specialties such as roasted meat and strong liquor, as a rest stop and to gather information.

Inside the restaurant, the charcoal fire burned brightly, creating a stark contrast with the snow-covered landscape outside the window. The waiter was a quick and efficient young man who, seeing the distinguished bearing of Jiang Wen and his companions, served them with exceptional attentiveness.

Just as the group was savoring the strong liquor in their cups to ward off the cold, a sudden burst of clashing weapons and angry shouts came from the street outside the window. Jiang Wen looked up and saw a dozen or so martial arts practitioners dressed in tight-fitting clothes and wielding various weapons fighting each other on the snow-covered street. The flashing blades and the overflowing energy caused the snow to fly, and the roadside vendors screamed and ran away.

What they were fighting over appeared to be a foot-long wooden box wrapped in brocade, with specks of blood already stained on it.

"Sigh, they're fighting again." The waiter was carrying a steaming plate of food over when he saw the scene. He sighed, unsurprised, and skillfully placed the food on the table.

Jiang Wen feigned curiosity and asked, "Brother, what are these people doing fighting in broad daylight in the street? Don't the city's garrison do anything about it?"

The waiter lowered his voice, a hint of mystery on his face: "Sir, you must be from out of town? This kind of thing isn't uncommon in our Jade Cold City lately. These people are all trying to steal treasures to offer to the Heavenly Fox Mother!"

"The Heavenly Fox Saintess?" Jiang Wen put down his wine cup, looking eager to hear more.

Seeing the customer's interest, the waiter launched into a long explanation: "Sir, you've come to the right person! This Heavenly Fox Holy Mother suddenly appeared deep within our Jade Cold Mountain about a year ago. It's said that the Holy Mother opened up a cave in the mountain, radiating countless rays of light, quite miraculous. She loves collecting rare treasures from all over the world, and has declared that anyone who sincerely offers a treasure that catches her eye will receive her blessing. It could be a miraculous elixir, a guide to cultivation techniques, or even, according to rumors, an extension of lifespan! That's why people from all directions are racking their brains to find treasures to send to the mountain."

He pointed to the martial arts practitioners still fighting outside the window: "Look, they've already killed several people over a Snow Jade Ginseng that's said to be able to revive the dead."

Jiang Wen pondered for a moment, then feigned ignorance and asked, "Isn't demanding offerings in this way no different from being a demon? Won't the government or the immortal sects care?"

"Hey, some people thought so at first too." The waiter lowered his voice even further, with a hint of awe. "About half a year ago, one of the guardian generals of Qin Prefecture thought that this Heavenly Fox Holy Mother was pretending to be a ghost. He gathered three thousand elite troops and even invited several immortals to help him. They marched into Jade Cold Mountain in a grand manner, saying that they wanted to rid the people of evil, and by the way... hehe, they also wanted to take the Holy Mother's treasure for themselves."

"The results of it?"

"And then?" The waiter's face showed a hint of lingering fear. "Those three thousand people went into the mountains and never came out again. Later, some daring woodcutters saw it from the outskirts of the mountains and said that the Holy Mother only showed a huge fox paw that blotted out the sky and gently pressed down... and then, nothing more. Since then, no one has dared to covet the Holy Mother's treasure; on the contrary, even more people have offered their treasures."

Jiang Wen's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked again, "Does this Heavenly Fox Mother have any harmful actions? Or does she demand human sacrifices?"

The waiter quickly waved his hand: "I've never heard of that! Not only does she not harm people, but the Holy Mother also protects the area around Jade Cold Mountain. About half a year ago, a group of wolf demons who could transform into human form appeared out of nowhere, roaming the city at night, killing many people and causing widespread panic. Later, it was the messengers under the Heavenly Fox Holy Mother who appeared and wiped out all the wolf demons overnight, even turning their corpses to ashes. Speaking of which, the reason why our Jade Cold City has been so peaceful for the past six months is really thanks to the Holy Mother's presence. Apart from her love of treasures, the Holy Mother really doesn't do any evil deeds, at least not towards us ordinary people."

After hearing this, Jiang seemed to be deep in thought. He didn't ask any more questions, gave the waiter a piece of silver, and then dismissed him.

"Did you hear that?" Jiang Wen asked Dan Chen.

“Of course I understand.” Dan Chen nodded. “However, this Heavenly Fox Mother is quite strange, completely different from that wolf demon.”

"Perhaps this demon has its own plans," Jiang Wen said with a smile, reaching out to feed Xiao Wen'er. The girl had grown a few more feet in the past few days, almost looking three years old.

After the group finished their meal, Jiang Wen led them away from Nuanxue Pavilion and found a quiet inn in the city to stay at, called Hansong Pavilion.

The inn's courtyard is secluded and decorated with hardy pine and cypress trees, which suits its name.

Just as Jiang Wen and his companions entered the inn's lobby, preparing to go upstairs, a young man in a blue robe drinking tea alone in a corner caught Jiang Wen's attention. This man's aura was restrained, yet his breathing contained a subtle, rumbling sound, clearly indicating he was a cultivator with a considerable foundation. However, a trace of unresolved sorrow and anxiety lingered between his brows. Jiang Wen immediately recognized him as a member of a cultivation sect.

He paused, walked straight to the tea table where the young man was, and asked calmly, "Fellow Daoist, are you a distinguished disciple of the Xuanlei Sect?"

The young man was startled by the sound, his teacup trembling slightly. He abruptly looked up, a glint of light flashing in his eyes as he warily eyed Jiang Wen. He was confident in his ability to conceal his presence, yet someone had seen through him at a glance.

"Who is your Excellency?"

Jiang Wen smiled slightly and did not answer directly, but said, "I am Jiang Wen, a cultivator from the Tai Shen Palace."

"Tai Shen Palace!" The young man's expression changed abruptly. He quickly stood up, straightened his robes, and respectfully bowed: "Zhao Yan, a disciple of Xuan Lei Sect, was unaware that a senior from Tai Shen Palace was here. Please forgive my rudeness."

His attitude changed swiftly, and his words carried a deep sense of awe. Although the Tai Shen Palace had suffered a calamity, its foundation and reputation remained renowned among the righteous immortal sects.

"No need for formalities." Jiang Wen gestured for them to sit down naturally at the tea table with Jiang Su and the others. "Fellow Daoist Zhao, instead of cultivating in your sect, why have you come to this harsh northern land, and why do you seem so troubled?"

Seeing that Jiang Wen's tone was calm, Zhao Yan breathed a sigh of relief, sat down again, and showed a bitter expression on his face: "I dare not hide it from you, senior. I... I came here to ask for the Heavenly Fox Holy Mother."

"Oh? You're going to present the treasure too?"

“It’s not to offer a treasure.” Zhao Yan shook his head, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes. “A close relative of mine was poisoned by a villain, suffering severe damage to his body, almost to the point of collapse. I heard that the Heavenly Fox Mother of Jade Cold Mountain possesses the wondrous power to regenerate flesh from bones and reverse life, so I took the liberty of coming here to seek a cure. I thought… I thought it was some reclusive senior master, but I never expected…”

He paused, his voice tinged with lingering fear: "I never imagined that the so-called Heavenly Fox Mother was actually a powerful demon with unfathomable cultivation! As soon as I approached the valley where her cave was located, I was locked onto by an invisible demonic aura. I didn't even see her true face before I heard a cold snort. It was as if I had been struck by lightning, and my soul was shaken. If it weren't for the life-saving lightning talisman given to me by my master, I would probably have died there on the spot."

Zhao Yan looked at Jiang Wen with a solemn expression and advised, "Senior Jiang, the Heavenly Fox Mother's cultivation is so high that... I'm afraid it's beyond the reach of ordinary Dao Palace True Persons. Although my cultivation is low, I can sense that her demonic power is as deep as the ocean, unfathomable. In my humble opinion, even if my Xuanlei Sect Master or your esteemed Chang Mingzi True Person were to come in person, they might not be able to defeat her. If you have no intention of provoking her, it would be best... it would be best not to set foot in that mountain range lightly."

His words were sincere, showing both respect for Jiang Wen and a deep-seated fear of the Heavenly Fox Mother.

Upon hearing this, Jiang remained calm, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger. He simply asked, "Thank you for informing me, fellow Daoist. I have another question. Has anything significant happened in the immortal sects recently? Where are most of the True Immortals from various sects now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan looked bewildered and shook his head: "To be honest, senior, I have been away from the sect for several months due to personal matters, and I do not know much about the current situation within the sect. I have only vaguely heard that something great has happened in the Northern Border, and the True Persons and Elders who remained in various sects were summoned to go there several months ago, and so far... there has been very little news. As an ordinary disciple, I really have no way of knowing the specifics."

Jiang Wen nodded, asked no more questions, comforted Zhao Yan for a few words, and then got up to lead everyone back to their rooms to rest.

He closed the door, shutting out all outside noise. Jiang Wen stood by the window, gazing intently at the majestic and mysterious silhouette of Jade Cold Mountain.

A Heavenly Fox Mother who loves collecting treasures, possesses unpredictable supernatural powers, and is both righteous and evil; a Northern Territory where all the true masters have gathered but have disappeared without a trace… The chaos of the Great Qian Dynasty seems to be far more complicated than he imagined.

"The Heavenly Fox Saint Mother, the Heavenly Fox Saint Mother. Why do I feel like I know her so well?" Jiang Wen muttered to himself.

(End of this chapter)